Cane cutting knife and stripper.



PATENTED A'PR,21,.1903.

N. ASBELL.

CANE CUTTING KNIFE AND STRIPPER.

APPLICATION FILED JAIL 15, 1903.

NO MODEL.

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NOAH ASBELL,-OF OCI-ILOOHNEE, GEORGIA.

CANE CUTTING KNIFE AND STRIPPER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 725,811, dated April21, 1903.

Application filed January 15, 1903. SerialNo. 139,175. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NOAH ASBELL, a citizen of the United States,residing at Ochlochnee, in the county of Thomas and State of Georgia,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cane CuttingKnivesand Strippers; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear,and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable othersskilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improved com bined cutting-knife and stripper; and itconsists in the peculiar construction and combination of deviceshereinafter fully described and claimed.

The object of my invention is to provide an.

improved implement of this character which is adapted to be used bothfor the purposes of stripping and cutting cane and is also adapted to beused for stripping prostrate cane.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved cane cutter and stripper. Fig. 2 is a top edge view of thesame, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View of the same,taken on the plane indicated by the line a a of Fig. 1.

In the embodiment of my invention I provide a cane-cutting knife orblade 1 of suitable size and shape, having a cutting edge 2 at one sideand provided at its inner end with a handle 3. The handle is here shownas comprising a pair of pieces 4, placed on opposite sides of the innerend of the knife and secured thereto, as by rivets 5. On one side of theblade 1, at the back edge thereof, is a longitudinally-disposedspring-plate 6, the

inner end of which is secured to the knifeblade, as by rivets 7. At theouter end of the said spring-plate 6 is a spring stripping-blade.

8, which is disposed somewhat obliquely with reference to thespring-plate 6 and extends rearwardly from the outer end of theknifeblade 1. This spring stripping-blade 8 has its central portionbowed, as at 9, and its upper or outer portion inclined outwardly, as at10. On the opposite side of the knife-blade 1 from the spring-plate 6and stripping-blade 9, at the outer end and rear corner of saidknifeblade, is a spring stripping-blade 11, which is practicallyidentical in size, shape, and construction with the stripping-blade 8and is reversely disposed with reference thereto,

so that an eye 12 is formed between and by the said stripping-blades,and the outwardlyinclined outer end portions of the strippingbladesdirect the cane-stalk into the said eye when the implementisappropriately wielded for stripping. The said stripping-blades havetheir eye portions or bowed portion sharpened on their inner edges, asat 13, to enable them to readily strip the cane.

It will be understood that the spring-plate 6 enables the springstripping-blades to move toward and from each other, as may be requiredby'the varying sizes of the cane on which the implement is employed. Toprevent the said stripping-blades from springing too far' apart, Iprovide a link-pin 14, which connects them together near their innerends at a point immediately in rear of the knife 1, the said link-pinbeing loosely fitted in openings with which the said stripping-bladesare provided and being provided with heads or other suitable stops whichcoact with said stripping-blades to limit their m ovement from eachother.

The length of the cutting-blade l is such that the stripping-blades areat a suitable distance from the handle to enable the implement to beeffectually used for stripping purposes as well as for cutting andtopping purposes, and the oblique disposition of the stripping-bladeswith reference to the cuttingblade is such as to greatly facilitate theuse of the implementin stripping prostrate canes. Hence my improvedimplement may be used for cutting, topping, and stripping cane whetherthe same be upright or prostrate.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the inventionwill be readily understood without requiring a more extendedexplanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details ofconstruction may be resorted to without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages of this invention. 4

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A combined cutting and stripping instrument comprising a blade, andyieldable inspringing stripping-blades carried thereby, means to limitthe movement of said stripping-blades from each other, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

hi NOAH ASBELL.

mark

Witnesses:

Roscoe LEEKE, JNo. W. H. MITCHELL.

